I've grown up with the Night at the Museum movies--and, honestly, they are a lot of the reason why I want to work in a museum someday.
Now, I fully understand that real museum exhibits don't come alive at night. I'd love for them to, honestly. And, sometimes, even if they don't really come alive, just reading about them makes you feel some sort of connection.
It sounds weird, I know--having a connection with someone who's likely not alive any longer, and probably hasn't been for a long time--but, sometimes, you read so much on someone that they no longer seem like this huge, ambiguous person. They seem like someone you could really have a conversation with--which also sounds weird, I suppose.
Enough of my rambling, I guess. Here's my review of the movie!
And, I see movies pretty frequently.
It perfectly pulled everything to a nice close--but, it did leave a few things open if they really wanted to make another installment (though, I doubt they would without Robin Williams). I thought they did a great job overall, so I'll hit on the most important things:
- New Characters: We meet a lot of new faces in this final movie (Akmenrah's mother & father, played by Anjali Jay & Sir Ben Kingsley; Lancelot, who ends up being a sort of villain; 'Tilly', the new security guard; Larry's twin, 'La'; among others), and most franchises have a hard time bringing in new characters without taking away from the old. But, the folks at 20th Century Fox knew what they were doing. Each new character melded perfectly with the old, and kept the great quips and friendships growing with each scene. It made it very heartbreaking at the end, when we had to say goodbye to them (much like the second NATM movie, with Amelia Earhart). Even Sir Lancelot, who turned out to be a quasi-villain, was difficult to say goodbye to! And, like the title of this post, it seemed as if it was the end of an era. We were even forced to say goodbye to the new characters (well, save for the last scene of the movie that jumps three years ahead--though, we see Larry Daley, standing outside of the museum and never know if he goes back in or not) and old characters alike. All in all, the new characters were hilarious and perfect additions to the NATM cast.
- The Actual Secret of the Tomb: I thought the backstory was cool for the tablet, and the opening scene that took place in 1938 at the beginning of the movie was interesting. But, something about the whole thing seemed... anticlimactic to me? I mean, all the tablet's issue was the whole time was that it wasn't getting enough moonlight. Like... I don't know. It just seemed kind of anticlimactic for me. But, I mean, it worked for the story and all. I just kind of thought it'd be cooler.
- The Villain: Lancelot seemed like a bit of a long-shot as a villain. Through the first half of the movie, aside from a few shady-looking glances, but I definitely didn't see it coming. Honestly, though, that's kind of what made him great. He was a surprise to the audience, I think, and I love villains like that--especially because he was pretty likable to begin with. I thought he was great, and he redeemed himself the end, which is not something many villains get. Loved him as a character, and liked him as a villain.
- Random Cameos: I feel like a lot of people would be totally up-in-arms about these cameos, but honestly, I thought they were great! Rebel Wilson was hilarious (as usual) as Tilly, and I thought she played a great role, even if it was short. Hugh Jackman was largely unexpected, and I loved it! I gasped when he came onscreen, and asked my best friend who came to see it with me, like, a million times if that was really him (later in the scene, he clarified that for me). Dick Van Dyke was obviously in the first movie, but he didn't get much screentime (and not in this one either, I'm afraid), and it was lovely to see his sweet personality again. I think the cameos were alright in this instance (unlike the obnoxious ones in Sharknado 2--though, that wasn't the only problem with that movie), since they weren't over-sold. I think maybe the Rebel Wilson one was, but she was a pretty crucial part of the plot, so it'd be hard to cut her from trailers. I really did enjoy the little cameos, and I thought they weren't just added for shock value, either.
- Nick Daley: Oh, Nick. Seriously, I hated him within the first five minutes of the movie. His first scene, the one where he took over his dad's apartment with a part, pissed me off, and didn't seem like the kid we were used to in the other two movies. He suddenly decided that he wasn't going to college (which was fine), then used the fact that his dad didn't go to college as an excuse. It really rubbed me the wrong way at first, but just as I suspected, I knew I'd like him again at the end. He redeemed himself at the end when he told his dad that he had a plan worked out. Larry cares so much for his son, just like any other dad, and it was hard seeing this teenager who just had no respect for that. I mean, it's certainly not unheard of in this age, but it was different, seeing it on the screen. I don't know. Nick ended up being alright, but I was a bit up and down for him throughout the movie.
- Robin Williams: I knew before I even saw the trailers for this movie that seeing it would be hard. It's been hard to watch any Robin Williams movies lately, because, again, like the NATM franchise, I grew up watching the movies with him in it--Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Flubber, Dead Poet's Society... The list goes on. And, this movie felt like a bit of a closure on his passing. It was a great closure, though. I feel like his role as Teddy Roosevelt really captured his personality, and the way Teddy spoke when he was saying his goodbyes to Larry at the end... It was hard, and I certainly cried, but it was such a great way to honor a man everyone loved. And, if you haven't seen it yet, stay until after the main credits are done rolling. You won't regret it, I swear.
- The Goodbyes: Like I said above, I cried. A lot. And, it wasn't even because it was all that sad--I rarely cry at movies. I cry at closure. As much as I'd much rather have it in the long-run, having closure hurts because... It ends. Everything is over. That's it. And, this goodbye was perfect. Larry was able to say goodbye to all of his friends just before the sun started rising, and in each interaction, you could really see the friendship and how it had grown over the three movies. The part that really hit home was this last scene, and I wish I could watch it over and over again. It really was the perfect ending to a great trilogy.
Like I said earlier, this is most likely the last in the NATM franchise. And, while that makes me terribly sad, it also gives me a great amount of hope. Hope that I can go forth and work in a museum and teach people about all of these historical figures, these people that changed and shaped the world--whether they knew it or not.
I have a challenge for all of you: next time you go into a museum, meet an exhibit. I don't mean go look at it for .5 seconds, then walk away. Really read up on it, sit and appreciate it for a moment. It really does change you, whether you realize it or not. We're all important, and though we may not all be put into a museum when we're older or gone from the world, we all have a tremendous impact on it.
And, sometimes, it just takes a little imagination to prove that so.
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